Integrated Studies Program

The Integrated Studies Program (ISP) is the joint admissions and first year academic portal for three basic science PhD programs: Biochemistry; Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology; and Cellular & Molecular Physiology.

By bringing together the three graduate programs that make up the ISP, trainees have access to multiple faculty members with strong research expertise in the following areas:

• Structural Biology
• Transcriptional Regulation
• Signal Transduction and Cell Proliferation
• Developmental & Reproductive Biology

The ISP understands that specializations in any of these areas require a basic core of knowledge, and has tailored the ISP to meet the individual needs of every student, regardless of whether career plans point to academia or industry.

The ISP Program blends problem-based and didactic learning with abundant hands-on laboratory experience. This balanced approach is designed to empower students as they make decisions about the area of research specialization they will choose at the end of their first year.

Features of our program include:

• Highly individualized attention and guidance for each student throughout their graduate training.
• A first year interdisciplinary core curriculum that provides a strong foundation in basic biomedical sciences.
• An opportunity to fully explore different research areas before selecting a PhD adviser and program. 
• An opportunity to study and collaborate with over 70 research laboratory groups involved in cutting-edge research covering a wide range of research disciplines and areas.
• A choice of three doctoral degree programs based upon individual research focus following completion of the first year interdisciplinary core curriculum.